Combination step and extension ladder



Oct. 11, 1938. w. M. WEBSTER 2,133,003

COMBINATION STEP AND EXTENSION LADDER Fild Jan. 12, 1937 Patented Oct. 11, 1938 2,133,003

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION STEP AND EXTENSION LADDER Willard M. Webster, Los Angeles, Calif. Application January 12, 1937, Serial No. 120,238

3 Claims. (01. 22s 25) This invention relates to a combination step by preference and as shown, are of a rim-like and extension ladder construction furnished with arcuate character enclosing a considerable open the usual side rails and treads or steps between area Hb. Each male member I3 is furnished them and having cooperating attachments carwith an attaching arm or plate |3a which is se- 5 ried by the upper end portions of the rails of cured to the outerside of the rail 1 at its side of 5 the ladder to limit the outward swinging movethe ladder. ments of the foot portions of the ladder with Describing first the detailed construction of reiation to each other. The invention pertains the male member I 3, its attaching arm |3a is more particularly to the novel attachments when furnished at its upper end with a laterally exconsidered either as a new article of manufacture tending stop arm IS the base portion of which, 10 or in combination with the remaining portions of preferably amounting to about half its length, fits the ladder structure. within a groove 16 being desirably made approx- One object of the invention is to provide atimately rectangular in cross-section Within said tachments for the aforesaid purpose which ingroove. Said stop arm is furnished with a cirsure greater safety to the user of the ladder and cular end portion I! which cooperates with the 15 which contain in themselves a suificient number socketed member, as will hereinafter be described. of parts, both to hold the two sections of the Said male member l3 further is furnished with ladder together and to limit the outward swing a bracket or xtension 29 having an angularly of the foot portions thereof. directed base portion 2| which seats upon the ad- 20 Another object of the invention is to furnish jacent edge portion of the rail to which the male 20 an improved casting of a simplified, more sturdy member is attached, and which is integral with character to replace attachments now on the the arm l3a already described.

market for the purpose of holding together the The bracket like has a right angular extensections of a ladder and limiting the swing as sion 5 5.1 which overlies the outer edge of the aforesaid with relation to each other. rail 1 thus stabilizing the male member I3 in 25 Other objects, advantages and features of the its relation to the ladder. invention may hereinafter appear. An attaching rivet 22 is shown extending Referring to the accompanying drawing which through the arm !3a and an attaching rivet 23 illustrates what is at present deemed to be a is shown extending through the base portion 2! preferred embodiment of the invention, of the extension 29. The outer end of said ex- 30 Fig.1 is a perspective view of the two ladder tension 20 is furnished with an angular flange sections when set up for an extension ladder, 2% which projects oppositely to the base portion parts being broken away. 2| of the extension. When the ladder is in an Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the two upstanding position with its foot portions sepaladder sections when setup for a step ladder, rated as far as possible said flange 24 abuts 33 parts being broken away. against the adjacent edge portion of the rail 8 Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of Fig. 2. to arrest farther separation of the foot portions Fig. i is a fragmental sectional view taken on of the ladder. The extensions or flanges 24 line 4-4 of Fig. 2. and [32; at opposite ends of the male member Referring in detail to the drawing, the ladder cooperate tot secure this result. The male mem- 40 sections 5 and 6 are formed by the side rails I ber I3 is shown furnished at about its mid-width and 8 respectively, the steps 9 and it being sewith an angularly disposed reinforcing flange 25 cured between said rails. Each rail 8 is furwhich extends along a portion of the inner part nished with a socketed or recessed casting H of the arm l3a and thence up over the extenwhich is secured to the upper end portion of each sion 20 across the outer side of the angular flange 45 rail 8 by rivets E2 or in some other suitable man- 24. The part 26 of said reinforcing flange which ner, and each of the other rails 1 has attached to overlies the outer side of the angular flange 24 its upper end portion a male casting member I; is shown engaging the inner angle of said flange which cooperates with the first recited members 24 and tapering to a point as it approaches the both to keep the two ladder sections in an atouter edge of said flange 24. 50 tached relation to each other and to limit prop- Referring to another detail of construction. erly the outward swing of their foot portions. The angular stop flange 24 of the male member The socketed attachments l l are furnished has an upperflange portion 24a which glides with attaching plates Ila whichoverlie the insmoothly over the adjacent edge portion of the her sides of the side rails 8. Said plates I la, rail 8 against which this part of the flange abuts 55 when the ladder is being extended or retracted as an extension ladder. Hence the two flange portions of the part abut in a flatwise manner with the edge of the rail either as a stop means or for reducing sliding friction.

Each socketed member H has at its inner side an attaching flange as which overlies the edge portion of the rail 8 and said socketed member has also an inwardly extending flange 3i, the latter flange extending across the top surface of the rail to which said member is attached. These flanges 36 and 3! are both straight and join each other at an acute angle as shown. Above the flange 3| the socketed member is furnished with a top flange 33 in parallel spaced relation to the flange 35 thereby forming a groove 32 the width of which is somewhat greater than the diameter of the stop arm E5 of the male member. Said groove is open at one end and at its opposite end is furnished with a stop wall 34 to limit the siiding movement of the stop arm E5 of the male member which travels along said groove. When the foot portions of the ladder are swung as far apart as possible, said stop arm will engage said stop wall simultaneously with the engagement of the flange 24 of the male member with the edge portion of the rail of the ladder with which it cooperates, thus affording a stable and dependable limited movement of the foot portions of the ladder with relation to each other. It is to be understood that the arrangement of the 00- operating rail and socketed members which have been described will be duplicated at opposite sides of the top portion of the ladder.

The socketed member If is shown having its flange 33 furnished with a triangular reinforcing flange 35 which cooperates with a flange extension 35 at that side of the top of the'ladder. At this end said top flange is preferably furnished with an upstanding portion 31, which protects the ladder from wear when resting against a wall. A reinforcing flange 38 is shown below the top flange 33 .at the opposite end thereof which is provided with an overhanging portion. In the completed ladder it is possible to swing the stop arms of the male members out 'of the ends 'of the grooves of the socketed members with which they cooperate and thereby permit the extension of the ladder as shown in Fig. 1. It is impossible to separate the two ladder sections from each other except in an endwise manner. =i0 designates a pivoted stop member whereby the upper section of the ladder when used as an extension ladder is prevented from sliding downwardly over the other section while the ladder is in use. A construction is thus provided which will not allow the structure to function as a step ladder until the stop arm l5 comes to the proper position to slide into the socketed member. The foot portions of the ladder cannot be swung apart when the ladder is in any degree extended because the stop arm l5 and guide extension lSa of each male member travel upon the track afforded by the rail between them and the rungs 9 also afford an auxiliary guide means and support for the rails 8 when the ladder is used as an extension ladder.

The top flange 33 of the socketed or female member is shaped with a flat upper face to support a platform 4| against one side edge of which the upstanding flange 31 of said member abuts.

I claim:

1. The combination, with the side rails and step portions of a conventional step ladder; of connecting and controlling members for said ladder arranged in two sets at each side of the top portion of the ladder, each set of members thus provided consisting of a socketed member having with an open end groove, and a male member having a stop arm slidable within said groove and movable out of the open end thereof to permit of the extension of the ladder, said groove having a stop to arrest the movement of said a stop arm therein, and the male member which has such stop arm having a'iso an extension positioned to engage the outer side of the rail of the ladder which carries said socketed member at the time when said stop arm engages said stop, said male member being secured to the upper portion of a rail which is adjacent to the rail to which said socketed member is secured, the ladder rail to which said male member is secured having in its end portion a recess within which a portion of said stop arm is seated.

2. The combination with the side rails and step portions of a conventional step ladder; of connecting and controlling members for said ladder arranged in two sets at each side of the top portion of the ladder, each set of members thus provided consisting of a male member and a female member, the male members being movable into engagement with the female members when the ladder is to be used as a step ladder, and being disengageable from each other to permit of the extension of the ladder, the rail to which the male member is secured at each side of the ladder having in its end portion a recess, and maie member having an arm seated in said recess, saidarm having a stop portion outside of said recess which aids in limiting the outward swing of the ladder sections when in use as a step ladder.

3. In a'ladder construction of the kind described, a pair of similar socketed members mounted upon the upper extremities of rails at opposite sides of the ladder, said members each having parallel vertically spaced flanges which are inciined similarly and to such an angle as to cause them to occupy substantially a horizontal plane when the ladder sections are spread apart in the step ladder position, each of said lower flanges overlying the upper end of a ladder rail from edge to edge of such rail and each of said upper flanges having a portion at each end which projects beyond the adjacent edge of the rail,

said upper flanges each having a flat face extending throughout its length, a platform supported upon said flat faces, the sockets of said members being formed by spaces between said parallel flanges each of which opens out at one end, the remainder of the space between said parallel flanges having a cross wall at its inner and its outer end, and male members attached to the ladder in positions to cooperate with said socketed members to control the extensibility of the ladder and the swinging movements thereof, said male members having arms which are engageabie with the open end portions of said slots to an extent limited by engagement with the cross walls at the inner ends of aforesaid enclosed slotted portions.

WILLARD lVI. WEBSTER. 

